On January 4, 2010, Swifty Delivery Service purchased a truck at a cost of \($62,000\). Before placing the truck in service, Swifty spent \($2,200\) painting it, \($300\) replacing tires, and \($5,500\) overhauling the engine. The truck should remain in service for 6 years and have a residual value of \($14,700\). The truck’s annual mileage is expected to be 15,000 miles in each of the first 4 years and 12,120 miles in each of the next 2 years—84,240 miles in total. In deciding which depreciation method to use, Mike Magnuson, the general manager, requests a depreciation schedule for each of the depreciation methods (straight-line, units-of-production, and double-declining-balance).
Requirements
1. Prepare a depreciation schedule for each depreciation method, showing asset cost, depreciation expense, accumulated depreciation, and asset book value.
2. Swifty prepares financial statements using the depreciation method that reports the highest net income in the early years of asset use. For income-tax purposes, the company uses the depreciation method that minimizes income taxes in the early years. Consider the first year that Swifty uses the truck. Identify the depreciation methods that meet the general manager’s objectives, assuming the income tax authorities permit the use of any of the methods.